Home of the High Commission of Australia. Designed by Alexander Marshall Mackenzie and built by Dove Brothers. Construction commenced in 1913, but as many of the building materials came from Australia, their transportation was delayed because of WW1.
It is usually the single largest polling station in Australian federal elections, with more votes being cast here than at any polling station in the Australian states or territories. The interior was used as the location for Gringotts Bank in the Harry Potter films.
In the memoir “My Candle at Both Ends” by John Carveth Wells (1911 – 1946) we learnt that as a young man, down and out in London, this building was a refuge: “At Australia House, they had a small cinema in which propaganda pictures were shown to sparse audiences; the films were silent and without any musical accompaniment save for a faint drowsy hum from the projector. I’ve had many a good doss-down there, thanks to the Australian Publicity Board.”
Credit for this entry to: Alan Patient of www.plaquesoflondon.co.uk
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